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DOCLINE in the Pacific Northwest

Any library in the Pacific Northwest with significant health collections or health information needs is welcome to apply for DOCLINE access. To apply, contact Patricia Devine. Here are some materials that will be helpful:

Once your library is approved for DOCLINE access, the RML will assign a userid and password. You will then be ready to prepare your DOCLINE record for use. This preparation includes completing your routing table and the rest of your Institution information, plus inputting your serial holdings. Once these steps have been completed, the RML will activate your DOCLINE account and you will be ready to borrow items and receive requests from other libraries.

Your routing table is used by the DOCLINE system as part of automatic request routing. When you enter a request to obtain a copy of an article from another library, DOCLINE selects a library that owns the item from your routing table. The system then sends your request to that library. If that library cannot fill your request, DOCLINE sends the request to another library in your routing table that owns the item, and if necessary another one, and so on. The system uses data in DOCLINE's Serial Holdings component to determine which libraries own the item you request.

Your routing table is part of the Institution component of DOCLINE. Institution also includes a wealth of information on thousands of libraries around the world -- interlibrary loan policy information, directory information, information about services, information about Loansome Doc participation, and other data. You use the Institution search feature to learn about other libraries, and should keep your own library's Institution information up-to-date so that other libraries can obtain accurate information about you.

You design and input your own routing table and should follow the regional plan for placement of libraries in it. Strictly speaking, you must have permission from a library to place it in your routing table. Since asking each library would be an enormous job, the regional plan provides you with guidelines for inclusion of libraries in the Pacific Northwest. Many Canadian libraries are on DOCLINE and can be entered with the same placement policies as libraries in our region.

The goal of this plan is to equalize lend/borrow ratios for libraries. Place other libraries in your routing table as follows:

If you already have a routing table that has been in operation, there is no need to make changes to follow this plan. If a library is already in your routing table, you got permission--at least tacit--from that library at some time. This plan is most useful for adding new libraries and for libraries applying for DOCLINE access.

NLM also requires you to complete a M/A/N Map (Monograph/Audiovisual/Non-NLM-Serial Request) routing table as part of your DOCLINE record. Why? It enables you to send your most difficult requests (not-in-Serial Holdings journal articles, for example) to five libraries without having to prefix or override. We recommend that you list the University of Washington (LIBID WAUWAS), Oregon Health Sciences University (LIBID ORUORE), and at least one other large library (Glendale Adventist, for example, if you need nursing titles). There are nine slots available, with the tenth defaulting to aNLM, if: a. Route to NLM is checked; b. NLM provides the level of service; AND c. NLM is an active DOCLINE participant at the time of routing.

Serial Holdings

DOCLINE's Serial Holdings component is based on DOCLINE Serial Holdings, a national holdings database for health and related serial titles. DOCLINE Serial Holdings data are used for routing requests in DOCLINE and for various union lists. The proper functioning of the DOCLINE system depends on users' keeping their libraries' holdings updated. For more information, see Serial Holdings in DOCLINE.

New libraries: after you receive approval for using the DOCLINE system, you must input your serials holdings information within 3 months. After that, you may update your serial records at any time -- and you should plan to update your records at least once a year.

It is quite important that your library's serial holdings data be kept up-to-date so that DOCLINE routes requests to you correctly. The more accurate your holdings data are, the fewer requests you'll receive for items you do not own.